Electrospinning of chitosan/poly(lactic acid) nanofibers: The favorable effect of nonionic surfactant

ABSTRACT To improve the electrospinnability of chitosan (CS), a series of nanofiber membrane blends comprised of CS, poly(lactic acid) (PLA), and nonionic surfactant polyoxyethylene nonylphenol ether (TX‐15), were made. Uniform nanofibers with no bead‐like structures were obtained from solutions of 2% TX‐15 with 6% CS(50)/PLA(50). The diameter was between 200 and 300 nm. We found that with increasing TX‐15 in the blend, the nanofibers displayed more hydrophilicity. Compared to CS/PLA nanofibers, the blend polymers with TX‐15 had better tensile mechanical properties. Finally, all cells examined showed high levels of attachment and spreading on CS/PLA/TX‐15 nanofibers with a TX‐15 content of 0∼3%. Thus, the nanofibers were nontoxic. In conclusion, adding PLA and TX‐15 to CS via solution‐blending and electrospinning may be an effective way to toughen CS nanofibers and make them more suitable for drug delivery or tissue engineering applications. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 41098.